What I'm thinking about right now - be it Community Partners of Dallas, Non-Profit Management, Advice, or just plain Living - read about it here!

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Tips for Serving on a Non-Profit Board

Happy Independence Day! In the spirit of all things American, I'm on break today and decided to repost one of my most popular blogs ever -- tips for sitting on a non-profit board of directors. Volunteering and philanthropy are such an American phenomenon and we are lucky to live in a country where most of our citizens believe in service. So, eat a hot dog and stop for a moment to think about what you can do to give back to your community! Now, the tips:

As you may know, I serve as the President and CEO of Community Partners of Dallas, a medium-sized non-profit agency helping abused and neglected children. I work with our board members every day to make sure our agency is working to "stop the abuse and start the healing" for kids in Dallas County. I have also served on many non-profit boards in Dallas County, so here are my quick tips if you are considering board service:1. Believe in the mission of the agency.2. Make sure that you have the time to serve -- you must attend the board meetings, committee meetings, all the events, etc.3. Be ready to support them financially with apersonally meaningfulgift.4. Commit to soliciting funding for the agency from your friends, family members, and colleagues. If you are not willing to do this, just say no. 5. Be willing to participate in leadership if asked.Prior to joining a board be sure to:1. Educate yourself about what is required of board members -- time, talent, treasure requirements.2. Take a tour of the agency and meet with the CEO/Executive Director.3. Check out the other board members. 4. Find out if you like the executive staff.5. Make sure that the agency has board insurance.6. Look at their most recent tax return and financial documents.If you are interested in board service, call the agency! There are many, many agencies that need you.

About Me

Life is funny. I thought that I'd end up on Broadway or at least married by this age, but instead I ended up in the absolute best place -- at Community Partners of Dallas. Of course, if you are the marrying kind or a Broadway producer, feel free to offer me a change!